Nondiscrimination task force seeks feedback from more city churches

May 7, 2013

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Examples of faith survey questions

• If the task force finds that there is discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in housing, employment, and/or public accommodations in Springfield, would you support adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance? • What should the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Citizens’ Task Force recommend to the City Council? • Would you recommend any changes or additions to the proposed ordinance?

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The chairman of the city’s task force on sexual orientation and gender identity is trying to recreate the Council debate that took place last summer — and he says that means listening to religious leaders.

Judge Miles Sweeney has sought response from pastors on either side of the issue of expanding the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance to include protections for gay and transgender residents.

Additionally, a faith subcommittee was added to the task force, and that committee is now soliciting feedback from more religious leaders throughout Springfield.

“The reason we had (Rev. John) Lindell and (Rev.) Phil Snider come talk to us was because there are only a couple of people on the task force who were at the Council debate,” Sweeney said. “I wanted to recreate that discussion.”

Sweeney said members of the religious community have been some of the most outspoken on both sides of the issue, and he wanted to find out why they cared so much about an ordinance from which they were exempt.

“That’s the first question I asked Lindell,” Sweeney said. “He didn’t answer me outright, but I got the sense he thought it could snowball.”

When asked whether the survey for faith leaders was putting too much research focus on one group of the community, Sweeney said that is a limitation of the task force.

“We’ve got to live with that kind of situation,” he said. “We’re not a government agency. We can’t go knocking on doors to ask everyone what they think. We have to take it for what it is.”

He said they also conducted an employment survey, for which they got 160 responses.

At a recent meeting, task force member David Trippe introduced an online survey the advocacy group PROMO is conducting, asking Springfield residents if they’ve experienced discrimination.

Sweeney said the task force’s job is to gather as much information as possible and present it to City Council.

“Hopefully they take all the information with a grain of salt and consider the number of people who responded,” he said.

Pastor Michael Overton, chair of the task force’s recently formed faith subcommittee, said the group is soliciting feedback from religious institutions through an online survey.

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All faith organizations within Springfield are invited to participate in the survey, he said. The subcommittee is asking that survey responses be filed by a senior clergy member or faith leader and that only one response be submitted per group or institution.

The survey asks whether clergy agree with the city amending the ordinance and whether proof of discrimination would change that opinion.

It also asks several open-ended questions such as if any changes to the ordinance are suggested and what the task force should recommend to City Council.

Following comments Lindell made to the task force April 22, a group of 23 pastors responded with a letter rebuking Lindell’s position. Now, George Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, has written a letter defending Lindell’s remarks.

Sweeney said he’s not surprised how much attention the debate has drawn.